Chair and leg rest

ABSTRACT

620,907. Seats. EEMAN, L. E. Jan. 30, 1947, No. 2916. [Class 52 (ii)] In seats or chairs having a fabric seating surface slung between top and bottom or front bars a leg-supporting structure is supported in a rockable manner from the front bar and comprises a forwardly and a rearwardly exextending section respectively whereby the rearwardly extending section by engaging the body of the occupant causes the forwardly extending section to support the legs and feet of the occupant in a manner conducive to his comfort. As shown the structure 6 comprises a tubular frame having strips 8, 9, 10 of canvas &amp;c. suspended from the front bar 4 by means of hooks 7 carried by the structure 6 and hooking over the bar 4. In modifications the structure 6 may be variable in size to suit various chairs by making the members of the structure telescopic and its shape may also be either plane or concave in side elevation. The means of suspension of the structure may be varied, e.g. the hooks 7 may have springs thereon for supporting the structure 6 which in another modification may be mounted above the bar 4 in a rockable manner. The leg structure may be adapted to existing deck chairs. The canvas seat may be supported from the top bar by springs or may pass over such bar and be adapted to&#39; be wound on a roller having ratchet means to vary the length of the canvas seat.

Dec. 19, 1950 E. EEMAN 2,534,581

CHAIR AND LEGREST Filed Jan. 26, 1948 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Leon .Ernesw ,Eeman A tlorney 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1948 F/Gf4.

I nvenlor Leon Ernesf' Eem n Allorney Patented Dec. 19, 1950 OFFICE CHAIR AND LEG REST Leon Ernest Eeman, London, England Application January 26, 1948, Serial N 0. 4,273 In Great Britain January 30, 1947 4 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to chairs and is more particularly, though not necessarily exclusively, concerned with chairs of the deck-chair type, i. e. chairs comprising a length of canvas or similar flexible material slung between upper and lower cross bars.

It is a common experience that after sitting in a chair, and particularly a chair of the deckchair type, for prolonged periods a user experiences discomfort due to the pressure of the crossbar of the seat portion against the backs of his legs. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a chair of simple construction which is free from the above mentioned objection to known forms of chairs and a further object is to provide an attachment with the aid of which an existing chair can be converted so as to conform. with the principles of the present invention.

According to one feature of the present invention there is provided a leg-supporting structure for application to a chair having a movable seat portion, said leg-supporting structure being adapted to be rockably mounted on a chair and having a forwardly extending portion which, when the chair is in use, extends under the users legs, and a rearwardly extending portion which, when the chair is in use, extends under the users body, the arrangement being such that when a user sits in the chair and depresses the movable seat portion of the chair and the rearwardly extending portion of the leg-supporting structure the said forwardly extending portion of said structure is caused to move automatically in an upward direction so as to support the users legs.

According to another feature of the said invention there is provided a chair having a movable seat portion and a rockable leg-supporting structure having a forwardly extending portion which in use is adapted to extend under the users legs and a rearwardly extending portion which in use is adapted to extend under the users body, the said forwardly extending portion being caused to move upwardly by the application of the users weight to the seat portion of the chair.

According to yet another feature of the present invention there is provided a chair comprising a, top cross-bar, a bottom cross-bar, a length of canvas or other suitable flexible material extending between said cross-bars and forming a hammock-like seat, and a rockable structure including a, forwardly extending leg-supporting portion and a rearwardly extending portion, said leg-supporting structure being caused, in use, to move into a position raising the users legs and freeing them from any objectionable pressure against the said bottom cross-bar, automatically by the action of a user sitting in the said chair and thereby depressing the rearwardly extending portion of said leg-supporting structure and raising the forwardly extending portion thereof.

The aforesaid leg-supporting structure may be mounted on or be adapted to be mounted on chairs of various kinds, e. g. foldable deck chairs, or lounge chairs of the kind comprising a tubular metal frame with a length of canvas or the like extending between a, cross-bar at the top of the back of the chair frame and a cross-bar at the forward part of the seat portion of such chair frame.

In order that the present invention may be well understood I will now describe, by way of examples only, some specific forms of leg-supporting structures and some specific forms of chairs embodying such structures, and reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective View of one form of chair with one form of leg-supporting structure applied thereto,

Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of other forms of chairs having similar leg-supporting structures,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the application of a modified form of suspension to a chair of the kind shown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of deck chair having a leg-supporting structure suspended in the manner shown in Figure 4,

Figure 6 shows a modification of a part of the chair shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 7 shows a modification of a part of the chair shown in Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, the chair is made from tubular metal and comprises a, top bar- I, side bars forming arm rests 2 and a base 3, and a lower front bar 4 from which a length 5 of canvas or other suitable material extends to the top bar I to form the back and seat of the chair.

The leg-supporting structure 6 shown in Figure 1 is of substantially rectangular form as seen in plan view and it is downwardly bowed as seen in side elevation. The said structure includes a rearwardly extending part which projects under the seat of the chair and a forwardly extending part which is of a length appropriate for supporting the legs and feet of a user seated in the chair.

The structure c is pivoted at or about its mid point to the chair, the mode of suspension shown in Figure 1 comprising two hooks '5, l, which are screwed or otherwise attached to the structure I and are adapted to be hooked over the front bar t of the chair. The leg-supporting structure is accordingly free to rock with respect to the chair and it is so shaped that when a user sits on the chair seat the rearivardly extending part of the structure is depressed and the for dly erte ing part is caused to rise into a position sup p ting the users legs and feet in a comfortable ma per i. e. resiliently and free from objectionable pressure against the cross-bar Any suitable panels, lengths of webbing or the like may extend longitudinally along or laterally across the said leg-supporting structure so as to provide a suitable rest for the users legs and feet and/or to provide for appropriate engagement wi h the seat of the chair. In the arrangement illustrated there are three lengths of canvas 8, 5, id extendim laterally across the said frame, the length 8 being about midway along the forwardly extending part of the leg structure, the length ii being about midwa along the structure and the length to being about midway along the rearwardly extending part thereof. If sired instead of a length of canvas 2 at the centre of the leg-supporting structure I may provide a strip of metal, leather or other stiffer mai and this may be adapted to pass over the lo er bar so as to present a more continuous surface for contact by a users legs.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 2 of the drawings the leg-supporting structure is similar to that shown in Figure l and is accordingly designated by similar reference numerals. The chair is however of a somewhat different kind in that it comprises a tubular metal frame cod prising base rails H, H, front supports l2, l2 merging into a lower cross bar is and rear supports l4, I l merging into an upper cross bar l5, a length of canvas it being slung between the said lower and upper cross bars.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 3 the legsupporting structure is again similar and the component parts thereof are designated by reference numerals corresponding to those employed above. The chair whilst being similar in construction to the chair shown in Figure 2 has front and back supporting members ll, ll and "5A3 which are spaced apart by a greater distance than are the corresponding members of the chair shown in Figure 2 and moreover there is less difference between the heights of such members. There is therefore accommodation between the top bar [9 and bottom bar 20 for a length of canvas 2! in a position for supporting a user in a reclining position. As in the earlier examples the leg-supporting structure I is rockable with respect to the cross-bar 20 of the chair and the forwardly extending part of such structure is elevated into a leg-supporting position by a user sitting or reclining on the seat.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 4 the body of the leg-supporting structure and the chair proper are similar to the corresponding parts shown in Figure 1 and similar reference numerals are accordingly employed to designate corresponding parts. The said leg-supporting structure 8 instead however of being rockably supported on the bar 4 by hooks rigidly fitted to such structure is resiliently suspended. In the arrangement specifically shown the suspension comprises a hook 22 disposed at each side of the said structure 6, each of said hooks having a stem portion which slides freely through a hole in said structure and an abutment 23 between which and the frame of the structure 6 there is fitted a compression spring 24. For convenience in assembly the stem of each of the said books may be screw-threaded for receiving a nut 25, the said nut serving as a stop for the abutment 23 cooperating with the spring 26. By providing a resilient suspension for the leg-supporting structure increased comfort is in some cases afforded to the user of the chair but such resilient suspension is in no sense essential to the present invention as it is found that with non-resilient suspension systems, such for instance as those shown in the earlier figures, a resilient support is in fact afforded for the users legs by virtue of the balancing of the rockable structure as between the weight applied by a users feet and legs to the forwardly extending part of the structure and the weight applied by a users body to the rearwardly extending part thereof.

In Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings there is shown a deck-chair having applied there to a leg-supporting structure of the kind shown in Figure 4. The chair proper is of the usual deck chair kind in that it has pivotally interconnected frames 26 and 2: and a strut-forming frame 28 pivoted to the frame and adapted to engage ratchet teeth in the frame 21 As is usral in such chairs, a length of canvas 28 extends between the top bar 29 of the frame 26 and the front bar 3% of the frame 21.

The leg-supporting structure shown in Figure 5 is similar to that shown in Figure 4 and the parts therefore are accordingly designated by similar reference numerals.

In all of the above described examples the length of canvas forming the back and seat of the chair may be resiliently supported, e. g. by securing the upper end of the said length of canvas to a subsidiary top bar instead of directly to the top bar proper of the frame of the chair and resiliently suspending such subsidiary bar from the top bar. Figure 6 shows this mode of suspension applied to a chair which is otherwise of the kind shown in Figure l, i. -e. the length of canvas 5 instead of being secured directly to the top bar I of the chair is secured to a subsidiary bar 25 and the latter is suspended from the said top bar by means of a. plurality of tension springs 21, so providing resilient back and seat portions.

It may in some cases be desirable to adjust the length of the canvas or the like forming the back and seat portions of the above described chairs and any suitable provision may be made for enabling this to be done. Thus for instance the upper end of the said length of canvas instead of being to a cross bar of the chair may pass over a cross and be secured to an adjustable roller. Fi ure 7 of the accompanying drawings shows such an arrangement applied to a chair of the kind shown in Figure 2, i. e., the canvas i 5 instead of being secured to the top bar i5 passes slidably over that bar and its end is secured to a rotatably mounted roller .23 extending laterally across the chair, such roller having a crank handle 29 enabling it to be easily turned and so providing for increasing or decreasing the length of the canvas IE5 and thereby varying the inclination of the seat and back portions of the chair. Any suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism may of course be provided for preventing in advertent movement of the roller 28 in a canvaslengthening direction.

In all of the above described constructions the frame 6 of the leg-supporting structure is made from tubular metal and it will be appreciated that such frame may be formed from a single length of metal or from a plurality of interconnected sections Whilst I have hereinbefore described some embodiments of the present invention I wish it to be understood that there may be various changes without departing from the scope of such in vention.

I claim:

1. A chair comprising a frame, an upper rrossbar extending across th upper part 0 frame, a lower cross-bar extending across the front of the seat portion of the chair, a length of flexible material extending between said upper and lower cross-bars and forming hammock-iike back and seat portions, a leg-supporting structure, means attaching said leg-supporting structure adjacent to the forward part of the seat of the chair in a freely roclrable manner with a portion of said structure extending forwardly of the seat portion of the chair and another portion extending rearwardly of the front of said seat por tion, the arrangement being such that when a user sits in said chair the rearwardly extending portion of the said leg-supporting structure is depressed and the forwardly extending portion is automatically moved in an upward direction so elevating the users legs and freeing them from any objectionable pressure against the said lower cross-bar.

2. A chair comprising a frame, an uppe crossbar disposed at the upper rear part of said frame, a lower cross-bar disposed at the forward part of the seat of the chair, a subsidiary bar located below the said upper cross-bar and. resiliently suspended therefrom by means of springs, a length of canvas extending between the said lower cross-bar and the said subsidiary cross-bar to form a hammock-like back and seat for the chair, a leg-supporting structure mounted on said lower cross-bar in a freely rockable manner wit a portion of said leg-supporting structure extending forwardly of said lower cross-bar and another portion extending rearwardly thereof, the arrangement being such that when a user sits in said chair the rearwardly extending portion is depressed by the weight of the user and the forwardly extending part is automatically moved in an upward direction into a position supporting the user's legs in a raised condition.

3. A chair comprising a frame, an upper crossbar disposed at the upper rear part of said frame, a lower cross-bar disposed at the forward part of the seat portion of said frame, a roller rotatably mounted below said upper cross-bar and parallel thereto, a length of flexible material extending from said lower cross-bar slidably over said upper cross-bar and secured to said roller, means for rotating said roller and thereby varying the effective length of said flexible material, a freely rockable leg supporting structure mounted in a position adjacent to said lower cross-bar, a forwardly extending portion of said leg-supporting structure projecting in front of the seat of the chair a rearwardly extending portion projecting so as to extend under the seat of a user, the arrangement being such that when a user sits in the hammock-like seat formed by the said length of flexible material the rearwardly extending portion of the legsupporting portion is depressed and the forwardly exte ng portion is automatically moved in an upward direction into a position supporting the users legs in an elevated condition.

A leg-supporting structure for application to a chair of the kind having a depressible seat portion, said leg supporting structure comprising a spring suspension means intermediate the ends of said frame for rockably attaching frame to a chair in position in which a portion of structure projects in front of the seat portion of the chair and the remaining part of the structure extends behind the front of the seat portion and immediately below said depressible seat to be depressed thereby, whereby downward movement of the said rearwardly extending portion caused by a user sitting in the chair automatically causes upward movement of the said forwardly extending portion of the leg-supporting structure.

LEON ERNEST EEIVIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 961,311 Nelson -1 June 14, 1910 1,649,013 Bell Nov. 15, 1927 1,989,203 Larsen Jan. 29, 1935 2,080,761 Crawford May 18, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,622 Great Britain 1902 550,068 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1942 

